The Endocrine System (concepts and diseases)

The endocrine system is made up of several chemicals and parts called hormones. They are the ones responsible for maintaining our temperature in a different environment, changing and growing of our bodies, and for sexual reproduction. This is also the reason why we generally, in puberty, have acne, pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, and other tones of bacteria and viruses entering and causing the skin to swell and form marks.

If you ever ask or wonder why the endocrine system doesn't do like anything beneficial for us, then you may be wrong. It may also be not noticeable but the endocrine system is also significant in taking the role for our body to grow. Because without the endocrine system, we probably might die in another environment. Just for instances, our body's temperature is constant which is 37oC. And we all know, that we are supposed to die when we live in a colder or a hotter temperature. But why didn't it happen? That's because the power of our endocrine system takes over. It helps us regulate and maintain temperature in order for us to adapt our surroundings and environment whether it is changing or not.

The endocrine system is composed of small specific parts mainly locating in the specified parts of the body like in the brain, the small intestine, the neck, and even our genitals! Primarily, it is composed of the diencephalon which has four parts : pituitary gland, hypothalamus, thalamus, and pineal gland. Each part of the diencephalon has its own responsibilities and functions required to carry out. They are also considered as the major parts of the endocrine organs.

There are two types of feedback in an endocrine system : positive and negative. To differentiate the two, positive feedback increases the magnitude of a changes made by any other endocrine organs. While negative feedback only controls and monitors the whole system to bring disrupted homeostatic values back to point.

Aside from feedbacks, our endocrine system also has three basic ways of controlling and maintaining our body. First is neutral (relating to the nervous system), hormonal (controlled by the release of hormones from another gland), and humoral (controlled by body fluids).

Of all the diseases and disorders of the endocrine system I find the anabolic steroid most interesting. It is caused when steroid hormone levels are tightly controlled by the body leading to side effects. What also interests me is that the size of our body will be affected as well when we take too much steroids (drug). Meaning, that the size of a male's testes will decrease, bigger breasts, and higher cholesterol. Steroids are usually used for athletes to easily gain or lose weight in a much easier way. Researches say that people drinking steroids have much bigger bodies in an earlier time than people only taking regular exercises. That's why the government bans steroids for reasonable purposes.